Tribological, Mechanical and Surface Characterization of Basalt Fiber Composite with/without Surface Modification

This study uses silane to investigate the tribological behaviour of basalt fiber surfaces with and without surface modification. Brake noise is a major problem for EV manufacturers, the noise is generated due to friction which leads to a lot of irritation and disturbance. Using fibers in brake pad formulation will eliminate brake noise and improve tribological performance. Basalt fibers i.e., known as natural fiber show excellent tensile strength compared with the E-glass fibers, enhanced failure strain compared to carbon fibers, and higher chemical resistance impact strength and produce less poisonous fumes when burning. The surface characterization of the fibers was conducted using XRD (X-ray diffraction) and SEM (scanning electron microscopy). Further, the friction and wear evaluation of the fabricated brake pads based on IS1742 Part 4 standard and physicomechanical performance evaluation of the composites using IS2742 Part 1–3. 12% of basalt fiber is used in the formulation. The results show that the treated basalt fibers with silane exhibit enhanced wear resistance and reduced friction coefficient compared to the untreated fibers. The surface characterization analysis revealed that the silane treatment improved the surface roughness and reduced the presence of surface defects.